Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Dechambeau to flex his muscles as he tries to drive the sport in a new direction
DANIEL BERGER may have won on the PGA Tour’s return at a silent Colonial – but it was a bulked-up Bryson Dechambeau who created the most noise.
Everybody loves a story and The Mad Scientist looks poised to write even more headlines after his T3 finish at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
The fact he has put on 20lbs of muscle and maxed out his length off the tee was always going to attract a lot of oos, aahs and media attention.
His driving distances have dramatically increased and he averaged 345 yards off the tee in the first round, while his longest drive was an eye-watering 367 yards.
Some people love Dechambeau but he does have a divisive personality.
I spent some time with him at the European Open in Germany a few years back and I actually found him to be a very mannerly and compelling individual.
Complex too. At the same event he stormed off the 72nd green after losing to Richard Mcevoy, something he later apologised for.
I saw both sides of the American that week.
Bryson’s scientific approach chimes with the current climate where data and trends are calculated and processed to combat the coronavirus.
He has applied the same forensic philosophy to golf – if you combine X with Y and multiple by Z, you get a W – and it has worked.
His approach is as unique as John Daly who famously announced his arrival on the USPGA in the late-80s.
The ‘slam, bam, thank you mam’ golfer resonates with every amateur and it’s a style they’d love to replicate.
Daly did it in the 1980s and 90s with a hit it, find it and hit it harder style of golf. He was a swashbuckling, super hero of the day. Dechambeau has what it takes to be a modern-day Daly, a siege gun, trailblazer boosted by modern equipment and technology.
Bryson has always been a player – seven wins since turning pro tells you that – and it’ll be interesting to see how transforming his body to such an extent impacts on his game.
Daniel Berger’s victory was overshadowed by bulky Bryson
I also wonder how long he lasts in the game and what his legacy will eventually be.
Will his body cope and will his mental health cope trying to decode a game that cannot be deciphered?
Do I want to see the game reduced to a heavy bludgeon off the tee with the strongest being best?
Definitely not and my worry is other golfers will follow suit.
Dechambeau is determined to reinvent the game and sometimes you have to admire the journey he’s on.
Even if you don’t always appreciate the direction he’s taking us.